For those of you who've followed our journey, thank you for sharing in our story. CJ and I found each other in the most unexpected of places: the virtual battlegrounds of Call of Duty. Amidst a group of 6-7 friends, his laughter cut through the noise, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he made me genuinely laugh. He says he knew from that moment, hearing my laughter, that I was the one. And the feeling? Completely mutual.

I tried to play it cool, of course. But he was so easy to talk to, so genuine, lighthearted, and refreshingly non-judgmental. It was a connection neither of us had experienced before. He wasn't used to someone wanting nothing but his company, and I wasn't used to such genuine care without any hidden expectations. It surprised us both how quickly and deeply we fell. From day one, it was, as we say, officially "GAME OVER!"

The only hurdle? The distance. I was in Minnesota, and he was in Oklahoma. But love knows no boundaries. For Christmas, he surprised me with a plane ticket to spend a week with him in February. Despite my inner crime documentary enthusiast's anxieties, I couldn't resist. I kept my travel plans a secret from my family (sorry, Mom!), but armed three close friends with my GPS location, just in case.

That week in Oklahoma was the best of my life. It felt like we'd known each other forever. But reality called us back to our separate states, the "free- trial" was over. We knew we needed a more permanent plan. Finally, I shared my feelings with my family and friends. Their love and support gave me the courage to move to Oklahoma, where we began building our life together. It wasn't always easy, but as they say, nothing worthwhile ever is. We faced life's curveballs head-on, and our foundation, built on open communication from the start, grew stronger with each challenge.

When life in Oklahoma became too overwhelming, we knew we needed a change. We made the difficult but necessary decision to move back to Minnesota. And thanks to my sister April and her husband Brice, we were able to breathe again.

Now, we're thriving. We have a clear vision for our future and solid plans to achieve our goals, together. We push each other every day, and we're so excited for what's to come.